'It's quite nice to ride him, let alone win on him' - amateur Megan Fox enjoys first success under rules

Megan Fox enjoyed a landmark first winner under rules when steering Whatsupwithyou to success in the 2m5f handicap hurdle for female amateur riders.

The Ben Pauling-trained nine-year-old was fourth off an 18lb higher mark in the 2021 Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival behind subsequent Gold Cup hero Galopin Des Champs and last season’s Coral Cup winner Langer Dan. 

Whatsupwithyou was ninth in a 20-runner handicap back at Cheltenham last month and benefited from a drop in class to provide Fox with a breakthrough victory on her seventh ride over jumps.

“I couldn’t ask for a better horse to have my first winner on,” Fox told Racing TV. “I’ve looked after the horse ever since I started at Ben’s so it’s quite special really. This is my fifth season so I’ve looked after him for four years. It’s quite nice to ride him, let alone win on him.”

Fox has ridden nine point-to-point winners and the 24-year-old added: “I’ve been riding pointing for three seasons now. I didn’t actually sit on my first racehorse until I was about 17, I went to college first. As soon as I sat on a racehorse I knew that’s what I wanted to do.”

Gamble landed 

Tide Times was available at 16-1 with bet365 on Wednesday morning but was backed into 13-2 for the 3m handicap chase and duly obliged under Charlie Todd.

The Ian Williams-trained nine-year-old recorded his fourth victory at Ludlow despite being 5lb out of the handicap.

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